Book Reviews from a Book Lover

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Monthly Archives: August 2014

I know, it’s been kind of awhile since I’ve actually reviewed anything. Turns out the end of Summer was busier than I had expected. But, I’m back and ready to attempt to review more often…I said attempt because September is likely to be just as insane as August #sorry 😦 Anyway, on to my review…

Synopsis: So if you haven’t read any of the other books in the LUX series, let me start by saying you are going to need to do that, ASAP. I actually don’t know why you are still reading this blog and not on Amazon…

If you have read the series than you know that this is the ending to a long, long journey for Katy and Daemon. “Opposition” begins a little bit after the last book ended and right from the start we get some SERIOUS action. We also get a serious heart-attack because once again Katy and Daemon are not together. I have this theory that JLA is trying to kill me. She doesn’t know me, but I must have wronged her somehow, somewhere, because everyone one of her books just leaves me emotionally and physically distraught. She is the Beyonce of the lit world…is that too much? Well, whatever, she’s awesome. Needless to say, “Opposition,” takes you through all kinds of craziness, including the return of the Arum (cause obviously), and a little baby Origin.

What I liked: Nearly everything, which is rare for me. I usually find something to nit-pick at cause I have English major syndrom. What I especially liked was the way everything tied together, and I mean EVERYTHING. I don’t know if JLA had a huge plot plan when she started, but she certainty tied everything up really nicely. I also enjoyed the hot, steaminess of Katy and Daemon, but that was just a given.

What I meh’ed on: Two things really. Possibly two small things, but they kind of made me go WTF, The dead person–okay there are a lot of dead ppl in this book, but if you’ve read it you should know specifically who I am talking about–was a major duh factor but still absolutely heartbreaking. Killing that particular person off, even if they were a secondary characters, at best, was just gut-wrenching to read. And the baby. Really? I hate when teenagers have babies, even mystical ones. I start to get PTSD flashbacks to “Breaking Dawn,” and I just can’t take it seriously.

So guys, end of an era. I feel really sad to say goodbye to the Lux universe, but I can’t wait for “Stone Cold Touch,” in November and JLA’s new series she’s been teasing. “Opposition,” itself was a wonderfully, thrilling ending, and you won’t be disappointed. 9/10

Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago.

Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her.Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.

Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendents of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she.

But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love.

She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesied to be a part of. The fate of all the descendents will forever depend upon it.

I am a southern belle at heart with a crazy streak that desperately tries to escape at every opportunity. I love all things nostalgic, rustic, and quirky. I’ve been told I see the world through rose-colored glasses, but I prefer to think of them as kaleidoscope glasses – swirling and morphing reality into something I can digest (who hasn’t pretended those pasty lima beans were really kiwi strawberry jelly beans?).

When I’m not writing I’m making jewelry, painting, drinking sweet tea, watching the discovery channel, or going on random adventures in the mountains of North Carolina with my amazing husband.

Three teens venture into the abandoned lake house one night; hours later, only two emerge from the burning wreckage. Chloe drags one Reznick brother to safety, unconscious and bleeding; the other is left to burn, dead in the fire. But which brother survives? And is his death a tragic accident? Desperate self-defense?

Or murder?

Chloe is the only one with the answers. As the fire rages, and police and parents demand the truth, she struggles to piece together the story of how they got there-a story of jealousy, twisted passion, and the darkness that lurks behind even the most beautiful of faces…

“Dangerous Boys is a taut, compelling thriller balanced on the razor’s edge of suspense. I could not put it down, and could not stop grinning wickedly as I raced through the pages.” — Leah Raeder, USA Today bestselling author of Unteachable

“Abigail Hass is a master at her craft! This is a special book and a special author. This is the kind of storytelling and writing that stick with you no matter how much time passes.” — The Book Geek Blog

“As with Dangerous Girls, the closing left me with a huge, admittedly rather twisted smile on my face. I don’t know how Haas manages to turn me into such a gleefully evil creature.” — Dahlia Adler, blogger.

“Dangerous Boys was an intense, psychological read which was full of suspense and drama,…Abigail Haas has a way of writing books which reel you in and keep you there, hooked and addicted until the very last page.” — Goodreads.com

About Abigail Haas

Abigail Haas has written two adult novels and four young adult contemporary novels under the name Abby McDonald. Dangerous Girls is her first young adult thriller. She grew up in Sussex, England, and studied Politics, Philosophy & Economics at Oxford University. She lives in Los Angeles.

College freshman Jill Holloway takes one look at the stuck-up girls going through sorority rush and nearly returns her borrowed dress and heels. Against her best judgment, she ends up falling for the prestige and parties, and snagging a bid from a top house. After moving in, she quickly grows skeptical of her too-perfect sorority sisters. She tries to ask questions, though no one will take time from their busy social calendar to give her any real answers.Jill wastes no time digging for everything she’s not supposed to find, and soon comes face-to-face with a big and bloody secret hidden in her sorority’s basement. She knows she’s in over her head, but taking off so soon would raise the perfectly-plucked eyebrows of her suspicious new sisters. She’s stuck until she can make a smooth exit.But the closer she gets to leaving, the more it becomes clear that it won’t be as simple as she hoped. A tempting fraternity guy, a best friend who needs her, and new details about what has really been happening in the basement have her questioning what her next move should be, and whether or not it’ll be worth the risks.HANDPICKED is a New Adult coming of age, with elements of suspense and romance.

Excerpt: “We shouldn’t be talking out here,” Sister President said, and the three of them swiftly set their glasses down and disappeared through a doorway on the other side of the room.

Once the door had closed behind them, Hannah predicted, “Something’s about to go down.”

“Where’d the pourers go?” Lindy asked, glancing around.

“You guys are weirding me out.” I interjected. “Can’t we just enjoy this? There’s food and good drinks and we won’t have hangovers. Maybe we should try to meet some of the other-“

I didn’t get a chance to finish. All the lights in the room went out at once, and the tall curtains lining the wall of windows fell dramatically in front of the glass, blocking out the sunlight. Someone shrieked, and a frantic hush fell over our group.

A strong female voice grabbed our attention. “Get ready, bitches.”

A candle flickered, illuminating a face I didn’t recognize. “Your new life starts now.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to dive into “Handpicked,” it’s got a whole Stepford meets Skull and Bones vibe. If you are as interested as I am in getting your hands on a copy be sure to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway below for a chance to win an ebook! This is open internationally!

So a friend of mine lent this to me forever ago and told me it was a must read. She knows how much I love anything deal with the mythical and figured it was right up my alley. That was 4 months ago. This past weekend she asked me to dog-sit and I decided I should read this so I could make sure it finally made it’s way back on her bookshelf. Someone should kick me in the face for waiting so long. I finished this in about 2 days and grabbed the sequel just as quickly. Unfortunately, life has gotten in the way, along with a Netflix addiction, and I haven’t been able to finish–once I do, I’m sure I’ll be singing it’s praises.

Synopsis: Girl named Emma meets hot guy at the beach. Her friend dies in a shark attack (sad) and Emma feels all kinds of unhappy returning to her home in Jersey. Hot guy aka Galen is there. He has a secret. He is a Syrena Prince, which is basically a merman, but don’t say that to his face. Turns out, Emma might be a Syrena, or she may be something else. Read and find out.

What I liked: The characters. Emma was so likeable, as was Galen. Banks wrote the novel in alternative POVs so you really understood each character and got to know them. Emma is a very strong girl and I like that she wasn’t pushed over the edge by either what she learned about Syrena’s, her friends death, or what she eventually discovers about her own family. I’m always draw to a strong female character and Emma certainly was one. Besides the characters, I loved the pacing of the book. The story moved quick and every chapter was filled with action. I hate books that drag and Banks certainly could not be accused of that.

What I didn’t like: Ummm, where are all the normal folks? Where is Emma’s sidekick. Emma felt very alone to me, surrounded by Syrena’s and Galen only. She didn’t have anyone to talk things through with and I feel like that generally makes a book more interesting, or at the very least creates a readers investment.

Overall, I loved it. It was fast-paced and the romance was on point. 8/10

From the critically-acclaimed author of DANGEROUS GIRLS comes a new dark, twisted thriller…

“It all comes down to this: Oliver, Ethan, and I.”

Three teens venture into an abandoned lake house one night. Hours later, only two emerge from the burning wreckage. Chloe drags one Reznick brother to safety, unconscious and bleeding. The other is left to burn, dead in the fire. But which brother survives? And is his death a tragic accident? Desperate self-defense?

Or murder?

Chloe is the only one with the answers. As the fire rages, and police and parents demand the truth, she struggles to piece the story together – a story of jealousy, twisted passion and the darkness that lurks behind even the most beautiful faces.

Release date: August 14th

In this dazzling novel from the author of THE MOMENT BEFORE, one courageous girl seeks keys to the past to unlock the future…

When city girl Liz is banished to a rural goat farm on the outskirts of Portland, the 15-year-old feels her life spiraling out of control. She can’t connect to her father or his young girlfriend, and past trauma adds to her sense of upheaval. The only person who seems to keep her sane is a troubled boy who is fighting his own demons. But all of this changes in one historical instant.

*

One-hundred fifty years earlier, Elisabeth of Bavaria has troubles of her own. Her childhood is coming to a crashing end, and her destiny is written in the form of a soothsaying locket that has the ability to predict true love. But evil is afoot in the form of a wicked enchantress who connives to wield the power of the locket for her own destructive ends.

*

When Liz finds a timeworn diary, and within it a locket, she discovers the secrets and desires of the young Bavarian princess who will one day grow up to be the legendary Empress of Austria. It is in the pages of the diary that these two heroines will meet, and it is through their interwoven story that Liz will discover she has the power to rewrite history—including her own…

Readers of books like Rachel Harris’s MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY will love THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES

Suzy Vitello is a proud founding member of a critique group recently dubbed The Hottest Writing Group in Portland, and her short stories have won fellowships and prizes (including the Atlantic Monthly Student Writing Award, and an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship).